98: SOS! The protagonist has awakened to the right to privacy and refuses the author to peek at the screen!

In a rental apartment in Hua Country, Blue Sphere, it was three in the morning.

The ashtray was overflowing with twisted cigarette butts.

The air was thick with the decadent scent of instant braised beef noodles mixed with nicotine, a smell exclusive to struggling authors.

Sword River Fish, an online novelist who had been toiling on Tomato Novel Network for three years, stared at the computer screen, his eyes bloodshot, fixated on the alarming green reader retention curve.

“It dropped again…it fucking dropped again!”

He slammed his fist on the table, spilling half a glass of iced tea.

“It dropped from 90% to 70%, then to 50%, and now it’s directly at 25%! If it drops any further, this book of mine is completely ruined!”

Book Title: “Evil God as Group Admin, Group Members Beg Me Not to Speak.”

Genre: Chat group, mastermind, invincible flow.

The concept was absolutely top-tier!

The character design was also meticulously crafted!

The protagonist, Gu Jianghan, exuded an aura of supreme power, his strength unfathomable, and his personality was the kind readers loved most: an evil god who disdained all living beings and viewed everything as mere pawns.

But the problem was…he, the author, seemed to be losing control of his protagonist.

“This is uncanny…”

Whenever he tried to focus the narrative on the protagonist, Gu Jianghan, to write a scene of him showing off or face-slapping that would thrill readers, something unexpected always happened.

The first time, he wanted to write about how Gu Jianghan subtly orchestrated events in the World of Sorrow.

However, his cat, Hakimi, sat on the keyboard, deleting the three-thousand-word outline he had written.

By the time he managed to recover it, his inspiration had vanished.

Ultimately, that entire storyline transformed into the Joint Squad’s struggle for survival in a supernatural tale, rescuing a bizarre bride.

The protagonist was nowhere to be found.

The second time, he wanted to write about how Gu Jianghan, in the World of Wrath, instantly saw through the true nature of An'an, the Incarnation of Wrath, and then, with an avatar, descended to break the tragic ending of “You are not her.”

But then.

Either the couple downstairs would argue late at night, leaving him agitated.

Or the guy next door’s roaring while gaming would make his eardrums ache.

By the time he calmed down, he realized he had already written a dozen chapters about the game content his neighbor was playing… The third time, he wanted to write about how Gu Jianghan became the great savior in the World of Joy, effortlessly blowing away the field of happiness with a single breath.

However.

Just as his finger was about to type a character.

“Bang!”

A loud noise came from outside the window.

Followed by a piercing siren and the clamor of a crowd.

“Holy shit! Did someone jump off a building again?!”

Sword River Fish’s fingertips clawed at his cheek, leaving bloody marks.

The security in his neighborhood had always been poor, but it wasn’t so bad that people were playing skydiving every other day.

He forced himself to ignore the commotion outside the window, trying to refocus his attention on the screen.

But his thoughts were completely disrupted.

In his mind, all of Gu Jianghan’s intricate plans and calculations had become a blur.

Instead.

The faces of the supporting characters from the Joint Squad appeared one after another, vividly clear.

Sword River Fish irritably ran his fingers through his greasy hair, which could have been used for cooking, and opened the chapter comment section in the author’s backend.

As expected, the latest chapter was filled with wails of despair.

“Reader A: Seriously, buddy, is this book still called ‘Evil God as Group Admin’? Where’s the protagonist? Is the protagonist offline for another whole chapter?”

“Reader B: I’ve been following for thirty chapters, does the protagonist’s total appearance count even reach three thousand words? I’m here to watch supporting characters suffer every day?”

“Reader C: You S* author, do you not know how to write a protagonist? Always hinting, hinting, and more hinting at your mom! If you don’t let the protagonist come out and show off, I’m not reading anymore!”

“Reader D: I suspect the author hasn’t even thought about what the protagonist should do, just padding the word count here.”

“Reader E: I feel like the author’s recent narration is so chaotic, all over the place, the protagonist’s character design is almost completely ruined.”

“Reader F: I feel like the author’s writing skill is very unstable. When writing the protagonist, he’s like a god; when writing supporting characters, it’s like a different person.”

Looking at these comments, Sword River Fish felt like crying from injustice.

Sword River Fish covered his face in agony.

Didn’t he want to?

He dreamed of writing about the protagonist, Gu Jianghan!

That character was the pinnacle of his creative inspiration!

He was the only character he had ever written who made even himself feel “thrilled”!

He had at least a hundred explosive scenes of Gu Jianghan showing off in his mind!

For example, Gu Jianghan yawns, and a certain 10th-tier great power attempting to deduce him instantly perishes, along with the world he resides in, which is completely erased from the timeline.

For instance, Gu Jianghan finds the laws of a certain world too boring, casually alters them, and physical laws are immediately nullified, causing the entire civilization to either ascend on the spot or explode.

Just thinking about these plotlines made his scalp tingle with excitement!

Who wouldn’t want to write about the protagonist?

The protagonist’s appearance brings excitement, excitement brings continued readership, continued readership brings recommendations, and recommendations bring money!

He understood this principle!

But the problem was…he couldn’t write it!

Ever since the protagonist’s “divinity” began to subtly influence Gu Jianghan in this book.

As the influence deepened, the protagonist, Gu Jianghan, gradually became aloof, disdaining to act, and took on the role of a detached observer, unconcerned with anything.

Since then, the author, Sword River Fish, had contracted a strange illness.

A strange illness where, as soon as he started writing from Gu Jianghan’s perspective, his thoughts would uncontrollably drift to other characters!

Every time he wanted to focus the perspective on Gu Jianghan, to write a scene of him strategizing or annihilating stars with a flick of his finger, a scene of showing off.

His fingers seemed to have a mind of their own.

They would uncontrollably steer the plot towards the Joint Squad, towards other group members, or even towards an unrelated cannon fodder soldier!

It was as if the protagonist, Gu Jianghan, possessed “privacy rights.”

He refused to be spied upon by the author!

Later, after he comprehended some of The Definitor’s abilities through an item called the “setting collection.”

The author, Sword River Fish, was already gravely ill!

“Damn it, I refuse to believe this! Again!”

Sword River Fish fiercely stubbed out his cigarette, then fumbled under the table for another can of Red Bull, chugging half of it down.

“Today! Even if I overwork myself to death! I must write out the protagonist’s storyline!”

He took a deep breath, his hands returning to the keyboard.

His fingers flew across the keys, as if playing a stirring battle hymn!

“As the Joint Squad fell into a desperate situation.”

“Upon the supreme throne of the Sea of Concepts, the man who had been resting with closed eyes, seemingly indifferent to everything, Gu Jianghan, slowly opened his eyes.”

“At that moment, the entire Temple of All Evils fell silent.”

“Time, space, laws, everything, everything was paused the instant he opened his eyes.”

“His left eye was the endless void of stellar birth and death, the cycle of the universe.”

“His right eye was the myriad human experiences, the rise and fall of all beings in the mortal world.”

“He merely sat there quietly, yet he seemed to transcend the entire world.”

Writing to this point, Sword River Fish himself couldn’t help but get excited!

Yes! That’s the feeling!

Aura! Invincible aura!

Readers, your thrilling moment is about to arrive!

He licked his chapped lips, preparing to continue writing.

To write about how Gu Jianghan, with a single gaze, made the arrogant Kuji Demon General tremble.

How, with a single word, he decided the fate of the 10th-tier Mother Goddess.

However!

Just as his finger was about to type the next character!

Something bizarre happened!

His index finger uncontrollably and forcefully pressed the “Enter” key!

The cursor instantly jumped to the next line!

Then, his ten fingers, like puppets manipulated by invisible strings, clattered wildly across the keyboard!

“Meanwhile, in a remote corner of the Sin Ranch in the Human Realm.”

“A young beggar named ‘Dog Egg’ was being beaten and kicked by three burly men for stealing a black bread.”

“‘Damn it! You little bastard! You dare to steal my stuff!’”

“‘Beat him to death! Let him know what rules are!’”

“Dog Egg was beaten until blood gushed from his nose and mouth, and his consciousness began to blur.”

“Just as he was about to take his last breath, a tempting voice suddenly echoed in his mind…”

“Stop!!!”

Sword River Fish let out a wail and abruptly jumped out of his chair!

“Dog Egg? Who the hell is Dog Egg?! I’m writing about Gu Jianghan showing off! Not some goddamn beggar’s rags-to-riches story!”

He looked at the text on the screen, which had generated itself completely beyond his control, and felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

It’s happening again!

It’s happening again!

This damned “privacy right” of the protagonist!

“Delete it! Delete all of it!”

Sword River Fish, like a madman, rushed back to the computer, his trembling hand pressing the “Backspace” key, deleting every single character of the “Dog Egg” storyline!

He panted heavily, staring intently at the blank document.

The next second, a brand new “inspiration,” completely outside his pre-set outline, forcibly invaded his brain like a virus!

“The young man who pulled out the Holy Sword, his name is ‘A-Guang.’ He has a childhood sweetheart named ‘Xiao Ya.’ They promised to go see the only ‘pure land’ in this world together…”

“No! Get out! I don’t want to write this!”

Sword River Fish let out an angry roar!

He tried to expel this “junk information” from his mind!

But it was useless!

That “inspiration” took root, growing and spreading wildly in his mind!

His fingers had even begun to uncontrollably type the characters “A-Guang” on the keyboard!

“No—!”

He let out a desperate shriek.

He knew he was going to “deviate” again.

His masterpiece, destined to become a classic, was once again going to add a “toxic point” that would drive readers crazy with complaints, all because of this damned “deviation.”

Why?!

Why on earth?!

“Fuck!”

Sword River Fish cursed angrily, lit another cigarette, and took a deep drag.

The temporary numbness brought by nicotine slightly relaxed his exploding nerves.

“Last time!”

He crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray, a gambler’s madness flashing in his eyes.

“I refuse to believe it! I’m an author, and I can’t control the characters I write?!”

He decided to try a different approach!

Since he couldn’t directly describe Gu Jianghan’s actions.

Then he would use indirect description! Through the perspectives of others, to highlight his awesomeness!

“The Kuji Demon General, this ancient being who had lived for countless ages, once followed the Demon Lord and battled the Heavenly Dao.”

“Now, he prostrated himself at the feet of that figure, not even daring to raise his head.”

“Because he could clearly sense the terrifying, magnificent power contained within that seemingly frail body!”

“That was…”

Writing to this point, Sword River Fish’s hand froze once again.

He found that no matter what, he couldn’t type the two characters for “End.”

It was as if an invisible wall stood between his thoughts and his fingertips.

He wanted to write, “That was the power of End, enough to decay the entire Multiverse.”

But his fingers typed out—

“That was…a peculiar power he had never seen before, full of ‘contradiction’ and ‘harmony.’”

“Holy crap!”

Sword River Fish completely broke down!

What the hell was he even writing?!

Just as he was about to delete all these words again.

The cursor on the screen suddenly moved automatically to the bottom of the document.

Then, lines of dark golden text, radiating an undeniable authority, were typed out one by one, as if by an invisible hand.

“Definition:”

“When author ‘Sword River Fish’ attempts to probe ‘Gu Jianghan’s’ core thoughts and the essence of his power.”

“His creative authority will be temporarily ‘blurred.’”

“His narrative perspective will be forcibly shifted to a random secondary character.”

“Any ‘thought branches’ attempting to deviate from the ‘main plot’ will be defined as ‘invalid information’ and ‘cleared.’”

“Definition complete.”

“We wish you…a pleasant creative experience.”

“—The Definitor: Gu Jianghan.”

The moment the last character appeared on the screen.

Sword River Fish felt his heart stop beating.

He looked at those lines of text, like a divine oracle, and felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

His…his protagonist…had come alive!

Not only alive!

But he had also, in turn, issued a “Definition” to him, the “Creator God”!

This…what the hell was going on?!

An online author being “silenced” by his own protagonist?!

Who the hell would believe that if it got out?!